Corn-Bran-Clementine Muffins

Oh muffins, it’s been so long! It feels like forever since I’ve baked my favorite goodies. I suppose I’m getting pickier about recipes and inspiration has taken a back seat to things like holiday travel and wedding plans.
Without further adieu, I bring you a muffin with definite promise but some unfortunate shortcomings. I’m not writing these off as a failure but they’re not my favorites…yet.

I was inspired by the huge basket of Clementines brightening the table. Their juicy little sections had to be good in a muffin! Starting with a recipe from Bob’s Red Mill, the only thing I changed was the fruit, from raisins to Clementines. I suppose I added some nutmeg too. Who can resist nutmeg and orange?
The corn-bran combination is a winner but I don’t think oranges are the right fruit with these grains. The Clementines were very juicy but the cornmeal seemed to suck them dry. The orange flavor was fantastic and I loved the crunchy corn. When I make these again, I’ll amp-up the wet ingredients, stick to the raisins from the original recipe, and throw in some marmalade for fun!
I’m sharing the original recipe and my somewhat sub-par variation because I think these muffins are definitely worth experimenting with. Maybe some of you can come up with a better orange twist!

I love the flavor combination in these Rachel! They’re so chock full of whole grains and so healthy! I’m thinking it could be you just have a little too much cornmeal – maybe whittling it down to a cup would be better.

Mmmm. I definitely love the idea you were going with here. Clementines just seem to melt away the snow. Definitely a recipe worth working with…I see bright things in the future of this muffin 😉 …that said…I’d definitely eat one as is!